Coventry has missed out on an estimated £10.1million after the Ricoh Arena lost to Villa Park in the battle to become a match venue for the Rugby World Cup.

Two high-profile matches are due to be held at the Birmingham stadium next month and are predicted to generate £10.1m for the city through travel and tourism organisations including hotels, restaurants and bars.

More than 40,000 fans will see South Africa take on Samoa on September 26 while another full house is expected when Australia play Uruguay the following day.

Villa Park home of Aston Villa FC.

The figures have been published by search engine GoEuro.co.uk which compares flights and travel across Europe.

Research by the company forecasts the tournament will boost the UK’s transport and tourism industry by almost £1billion as the UK hosts 20 teams, over 440,000 international visitors and more than 2.2m Brits in 11 cities.

It is thought the competition will provide the biggest boost to local economies since the London 2012 Olympics, when Coventry hosted 12 Olympic football matches.

He said: “The Rugby World Cup has given us a fantastic opportunity to build on Coventry’s rich rugby heritage and grow the game of rugby in the city.

The trophy arrives in Coventry

“We have seen a really special programme of events organised in the run up to the tournament which have helped to bring local rugby clubs and the community across Coventry together to celebrate the event and have their own Rugby World Cup experience.

“There has been a real buzz in the city with lots of people turning out to take part in the rugby day organised as part of Coventry Sports Week, the Singha 7s tournament at the Ricoh Arena and more than 5,000 people attending to watch the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour arrive in Coventry.

“A pre-season warm-up game between Wasps and Samoa is also being held at the Ricoh Arena on September 5 and Engage is also hosting the very first International Tag Rugby Youth Festival with teams from New York, Paris, Brazil and Kampala visiting the city between September 4 and September 11.”